"I guess this is goodbye then." JJ stumbled over his words as he tried to hold back tears. "I guess it is." I nodded, reaching into my bag and pulling out an envelope. "Please, keep it." I whispered handing the brown paper envelope over to JJ. He began to open it giving me confused looks.
"Don't open it just yet." I mumbled, "wait until you get on the plane, okay?"
He nodded sadly.

We sat on the most uncomfortable metal seats that you could possibly imagine, the cool glass window behind us allowing us to see hundreds of suitcases being dragged along the paths by their owners. Inside the airport crowds bustled around us, the noise of murmuring, excited children, crying children, noisy stag parties and arguing school children filled up the hall. The walls were a glistening white, though at the corners grey marks lived where people had ragged their cases around the corners. The lights were too bright and the floor too shiny, the blood stains of a few months ago removed from the gleaming white surface.

JJ sat next to me, his foot tapping nervously against the ground and his fingers drumming against the chair. His suitcase, that had more air than belongings in it, had already been dropped at the checkout desk and now he sat as if stuck between worlds. This was his time, he was stumbling at a wavering bridge that would take him to a new life...a better life. He looked up from his feet and pulled his beanie back over his ears before staring back at the ground.

"I will miss you." He smiled gently, still not looking up from the floor.
"Me too."
"Thanks for saving my life."
"It's okay," I smiled back at him, "thanks for saving my life twice."
"This is all getting a bit cheesy, isn't it?"
"Yeah," I laughed weakly, "just a bit."
"I mean..." JJ began, dragging his gaze from the floor to stare directly at me, "you could always come with me."
"I would JJ but you kno-"
"It's okay," he smiled genuinely this time, "I understand."
"Thanks."
"I feel like I should have something really emotional to say at this point, or inspirational or something." He laughed nervously.
"Yep." I agreed, "or advice or something like that."
He nodded again, "sorry if I annoyed you a bit."
"It's fine JJ, you didn't. Anyway if you ever just happen to fly a few thousand miles and turn up here again, then tea is at 5, your welcome to stop by though I don't think we'll be having noodles."
"Shame." He laughed, "I really like noodles."

He stood up, passport and boarding card in hand as the speakers cried out that his flight was ready for boarding. I dragged myself from the metal chair and stood by his side.
"See you later Mikes." He whispered through tears that tumbled down my back as he hugged me tightly.
"See you soon." I choked, my arms shaking as I hugged him for the last time.
"And if you ever happen to drop by..."
"What on the other side of the world?" I laughed through tears.
"Yeah, if you ever happen to drop by..." He laughed again as he stopped hugging me and stood back, "then tea is at 6, probably noodles and don't forget sun cream."

With that he turned his back and walked reluctantly away from me. He wasn't really going to leave, was he? I was expecting it to be like a film where at the last minute he would decide against it and come running back to me, hug me and say that he couldn't leave. But that only happens in films. JJ did not run back to me.

I sat peering through the glass that displayed the run way as if it was a tv, planes taking off and landing every minute. Then after a while of waiting, most tears had dried up by now and I was only shaking slightly, I saw a huge plane pull up onto the runway at 11:05. If I'd have been able to see that far then I'd have seen JJ waving from the plane window as it rushed along the runway and disappeared into the sky.

-... .-. .. -. --. .. -. --. / - .... . / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / -... .- -.-. -.- / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / ..-. .. -. .- .-.. / -.-. .... .- .--. - . .-.

JJ sat alone in a comfy seat on the rumbling plane. Most people had dropped off to sleep and it was if each person was talking to one another with snores and inaudible mumbling. JJ decided that this was the perfect time to open the sealed brown envelope that Mikey had given him. Despite the grumbling of the plane as it dragged itself along he managed to open the envelope and brought out a sheet of folded paper.

As he read he began to smile, glad that he at least had a little part of his old life to take into the new one. This piece of paper made him laugh and smile, and it could be argued that it saved him when he was left in the bleakest moments of his life. He promised that he'd visit Mikey again, and he kept to that promise as friends should do. He often re-read the letter and used it to tell his brother and sister who is best friend actually was. Here is what the letter said:

Hey,
So JJ, you're on a plane right now. How's that going? Any kids crying yet or is everyone asleep?

So I thought I'd write down all the sentimental shit here because I probably won't be able to actually say this and I'd just sit there saying nothing when you leave. So here goes:

I wrote you out 7 tasks, but not like he others: I don't want you to kill anyone or that (I just hope that security doesn't find this letter because then there'd be weird questions and then maybe you wouldn't be going to Australia after all). Anyway here goes:

1. Keep your family close
2. Please learn to cook something other than noodles
3. Don't let your anxiety stop you from doing shit that you enjoy
4. Stay happy, don't worry about how I'm doing, concentrate on yourself and getting to know your siblings
5. If you feel down then don't be afraid to ask for help, even if it's your brother or sister or therapist or doctor, they're not going to judge you
6. Are you still going to wear that beanie hat? Even when it's really warm?
7. Don't get sunburnt

So yeah, enjoy your life until I see you again. :)

-Mikey

Notes

Hello for the last time!
so yeah, last chapter: was it okay? i hope so. :)
but anyway, again (I always seem to do this) I tried to make it happy and sad at the same time because they do get to see each other again. Yay!
Anyhoo, I would like to say a big thank you for reading and commenting and everything over the past 2 months (jeez, it took a while to write this). It's really wonderful to know that people actually like what you write (unintentional rhyme there) so thank you very much once again and I hope you enjoyed. (Also 7 is my favourite number) :)
-lou